Belt-tightener



(No Model.)

E. F. AUTENRIBTH; BELT TIGHTENER.

No. 414,834. Patented Nov. 12, 1889.

N. PEIR5. Phmuamm w. wmin m n.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormcrz.

ERNST F. AUTENRIETH, OF NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GLEN COVE MACHINE COMPANY, (LIMITED,) OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

BELT-TlGHTENE R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,834, dated November 12, 1889. v Application filed August 3, 1889. Serial No. 319,644. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, ERNST F. AUTENRIETH, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Belt-Tighteners for Planing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates to belt-tighteners for planingmachines, which planing -machines comprise a lower vertically-movable bed. Such machines are usually termed surfacers. I have only shown those portions of a planing-machine which are essential to an understanding of my improvement.

I will describe my improvement in detail, and then point out the novel features in the claims.

The accompanying drawing is a side elevation of such portions of a planing-machine and embodying my improvement.

A designates the lower cutter-head journaled in a vertically-movable lower bed A This cutter-head is driven from a belt A,

which belt passes over a pulley a on the cutter-head shaft, a driving-pulley a, and about pulleys a comprised in a belt-tightener. The pulley a is driven by a belt 13, passing over a driving-pulley B and contacting with the belt A as the latter passes over the pulley a. The belt B drives an upper cutter-head B The lower movable bed A has vertical movement imparted to it, in order to vary the distance between the cutter-heads, for the purpose of accommodating timber of different sizes. I have not shown the means for imparting such vertical motion, but it consists of screws and gearing of a construction well known to those skilled in the art. It will be quite apparent that as such bed is caused to rise or fall in a vertical plane the belt A will be tightened or slackened according as the bed is raised or lowered. This tightening or slackening should be compensated for in order to maintain an even strain on the belt and cutter-head. I have shown automatic means for accomplishing this operated by the movable bed itself.

' The belt-tightener is of ordinary construction, comprising a frame 0, rigidly mounted upon a stud c, journaled from the main frame of the machine, so that the stud may turn freely. The pulleys a are journaled in the frame 0, and as the belt A passes over one of said pulleys and under the other, of course as said frame is rocked in one direction or the other the belt will be tightened or loosened.

D designates an arm, which arm is provided near one end with a ring-shaped portion (1, which extends about a collar (1', made fast upon the stud c. The ring-shapedportion d is secured to said collar by means of a setscrew (1 Adj ustably secured to the arm D, near its other end, is a link E. The link E is in this example of my improvement connected near its other end to the journal 6 of a presser-roller E, which presser-roller is journaled in the lower bed A It will be readily seen that when the lower bed is caused to rise or fall the link E will rock the arm D, and thus impart a rocking motion to the frame 0 and pulleys a whereby the belt will be loosened or tightened. I have shown the arm D as provided with a series of holes f. The link E may be connected with the arm D by means of a bolt passing through any of these ,holes, so as to vary as desired the length of throw which will be imparted to the arm D. Instead of using holes f, a slot might of course beemployed.

I have shown other presser-rollers g, mounted in the lower bed A and the presser-rollers g, on which the journals are shown mounted upon the other bed.

It will be seen that by my improvement the rise or fall of the lower bed causes the belt-tightener to automatically tighten or slacken the belt, so as to maintain a uniform tension on the belt and the cutter-head.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an improvement in belt-tighteners in planing-machines, the combination, with a lower vertically-movable bed, of a cutterhead mount-ed in said bed, a driving-belt for said cutter-head, a belt-tightener for. said belt, and a connection between said movable bed and the belt-tightener, whereby, when said bed is moved up or down, the belt-tightener will be automatically operated to vary the strain upon said driving-belt and the cutfer-head, substantially as specified.

2. As an improvement in belt tighteners in the belt-tightenerwi1l be automatically operplaning-maehines, the combination, with a ated to vary the strain upon said driving-belt [0 lower vertieally-movable bed, of a cutterand theentter-llead,substantially as specified. head mounted in said bed, a driving-belt for T r r 1 Y r 5 said cutter-head, a belt-tightener for said ERASl AUJ LL RIE I belt, and an adjustable connection between Witnesses:

said movable bed and the belt-tightener, FREDK. HAYNES, whereby, when said bed is moved up or down, I). II. HAYWOOD. 

